Still Not Safe [M&M 2nd ed]

[Fri]

"I agree with Andi. We could combine all of it. The 'vanguard' try to break through the baloon using shield, psychic or otherwise, with lorne to scan for its weakness. The rest of the team, ones with flying or fast movement, stay outside it's range and move when signaled."

[Tengu_temp]

"An underground escape route? That's a great idea! And we can use it in the same moment the balloon gets pierced to evacuate instead of waiting to see will the shell be strong enough or not.
As for the size... I think the biggest I can make it a hemisphere with a diameter of around 30 feet. So everyone who wants to get in will be able to fit, I think..."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"I think I'm fast enough that I could be in the second team." Ben spoke up. "I can hang in the air above and then plummet down once the balloon pops."

[Haven]

Ben Brooks

"I think I'm fast enough that I could be in the second team." Ben spoke up. "I can hang in the air above and then plummet down once the balloon pops."

"Actually," says Lorne, "that may be the best way to go about it. Have a team in the air above the SE and then burst the balloon. If we attempt this plan on the ground, we may come under attack from the SE's humanoid extension while we're dealing with the balloon. Plus, we'll probably be entirely safe from the acid while above it."

[Cubey]

"This alternate plan sounds workable." It seems the commander could hear you, with the communicators working both ways and all. "There is danger involved, but it is overall less dangerous than operating under a huge container of acid that may burst open at any given moment. Make sure the unprotected group stays behind the security line, where the previous acid explosion did not reach. And the ones who are closer... try to maximize your distance and all protections. Your safety is a priority."

The plane you're in starts descending and slowing down. After a while, you land at a military airbase.
"I am entering my MSAS now. Go outside and follow the directions. We're meeting with the rest of your support near the SE." Frank Symes says as he walks through the cabin, towards the back and the door that is located there, leading to the holding area of the jet.

"This way, this way!" Is the first thing you hear when you leave the plane. It's very early morning, but even in insufficient lightning you wouldn't be able to miss lots of soldiers around the base. Some of them point you towards nearby waiting helicopters. "SECT? Come with us, please." One of them actively approaches you.

"I... would like to be in the first team." Laura breaks her silence when you're already in helicopters. "I do not know how well I will be able to cancel out this acid... but I will try if it sprays on you. I surely will try my best." She looks at her amplifier intently.

"This is your mission control. Can everyone hear me? The local time is 6:24 AM." Someone let the mission control lady back at the speakers, since you can hear her now and not the commander. "I hope everyone knows their objective. I wish everyone good luck. We will keep you informed on any unexpected turns of events."

As you fly closer towards your destination, you start to see a huge object in the distance. It's far from the spherical shape on the picture, but you're sure - it must be the SE.

[Fri]

"So... Andy.. What should we call this one?"

(by the way, who are in the vanguard team and who are in the second team?)

[Matar]

Todd grins and looks over at Emi. "I'll be wherever Emi wants to put me." Todd seems to enjoy bugging you. Oh so very much. He places his hands to chest and says in an (obviously fake) love struck voice "I am her's to command~"

[Tengu_temp]

Emi's reaction to Todd's shenanigans is a pained facepalm.
"Right now I'm tempted to put you in range of the acid - alone, outside the shell. Give me a break..."
She turns her back to Todd and speaks to the others.
"So... Which route are we taking? Land, or air? I'm fine with either, I guess, so it's up to you."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

Ben hung out as far as he could from the open door of the helicopter, the wind whipping at his hair while he tried to get a better look at it. "This one is so different from the first two. Just as alien, though. I wonder if, by destroying the balloon, we could blind it. It looked like a giant eyeball." he said mostly to himself, pondering to pass the time.

[kamikasei]

"I'm probably best off attacking from range," Cat muses quietly. "It'd be good if I can get at any ponds or lakes nearby - I might be able to use the water to help block the acid."

[Tengu_temp]

"If there are no natural reservoirs around, then maybe you could ask for a water tank, Cat? They should be able to give you at least that." Emi is a bit more enthusiastic than usual. Even if you're not social, it feels good to come up with an idea other people like.

[Matar]

"Uh... isn't this a city? Shouldn't there be water lines? Andy is basically a God of the Earth. I'm sure he could rip some out of the soil for you easy enough."

[Cubey]

Your helicopter prepares for landing - in some kind of a security checkpoint, with a temporary building, an armored transport waiting nearby, and of course, lots of people. You can see similar checkpoints every ~200 hundred meters around the SE, but that's not all.

First, there's obviously the SE. You are about 1.5 kilometers away from it, and it is far more visible. Its shape is very irregular, with bulbous growths here and there that will probably take a fully round shape only if you let it regenerate fully. Most unnervingly, you can see the giant eye's pupil - and it's looking straight at you.

Also, several hundred meters away from you in 02A's direction, the desert prairie plains of Texas turn into a desolate, lifeless wasteland, forming a circle around the SE. It's easy to see what happened here - 02A's acid was potent enough to destroy almost all life in a huge radius, burning the local area down to barren earth.

"There is no preset start of this operation. Please alert us when you are ready to move out, and this will be marked as the time the mission starts." The mission control lady informs. As you leave the helicopter, you notice that, judging by uniforms, most people at this checkpoint are SECT operatives rather than US soldiers. There is a rather small water tank situated nearby - apparently they know about Cat's powers and how they are dependant on presence of this liquid.

Another helicopter lands only a few seconds after your does, Frank Symes jumping out of it. He's already in his alloy suit, armed with the main battle pack. Following him are two technicians, carrying a heavy and futuristic contraption that would not look out of place in a science fiction movie. This is Lorne's invention, the microwave cannon.

"Tell me what you want us to do." Frank is direct. You see that there are many other MSAS troopers nearby - about 30, and most of them wear mark II suits. Nobody else wants to start a conversation. Maybe they are too distressed by a giant deformed eyeball observing them.

[kamikasei]

Cat looks taken aback to have the initiative left with the team. Aren't they just supposed to take their orders from people with actual competence in this sort of thing? The responsibility makes her nervous, and the thought of Todd being officially given his head makes her downright alarmed.

She looks around at the others. "Well, I could drop a giant icicle on it if Emi flew me high enough. Andy could probably do the same with a sufficiently large and sharp rock. Or Andy could burrow Emi under it and she could lance it from below. Or we could try shooting it from here with Lorne's death ray."

She squints at the giant eye on the horizon. "Am I missing anything? ...I'm not exactly happy about it, but I think the best option might be for Emi to fly me above it. That way Andy can take the rest of the team underground and be in position to hit the main body as soon as possible after it's blinded."

She steps up to Andy. "How many people could you take? Would you be able to get the troopers in close or would they need to stand by out here for the acid to fade?"

[Fri]

"...I can't fly that well but I can glide good enough. I may be able to simply latch to one of you guys to stay airborne, and that'll leave more space for Andy."

[kamikasei]

"That could work. You need to get into punching distance to fight, right? But if you could drop from on high without breaking your back then that'll get you in to the scrap quickly enough.

"So let's say Emi flys me and James up above it, and Andy takes some others below. Lorne might be better off up above with us so he can see how it reacts. That leaves Ben, Todd and Sara with Andy to hit the main body - Andy, can you handle that many? Do any of you guys work better at a distance?"

Although Cat's talking, it's more like she's thinking aloud than trying to actually give orders. The uncertainty in her voice is clearly audible, and whenever she names someone she gives them a small, questioning look, as if waiting for them to speak up and contradict her assessment of their abilities or best placement.

[Drascin]

Andy smiles at Cat. "Take, probably three, because I just plain don't have enough hands to grab them. But if they're going to be willing to walk, I could make a small tunnel from here to there in under a minute. One and a half if I stop to decorate" he looks around, pensieve. "Though my usual tunneling might be a bit tight for the suits. Well, I can just do another one joined, as I come back, maybe that way they'd fit, and it wouldn't take as long as having to concentrate on making a bigger tunnel. Yeah, I think that'd work"

[Tengu_temp]

"You don't have to be in the flying group if you don't want to, Cat. I can drop something heavy and sharp on this thing too, no problem." Emi tries to sound reassuring, but that misshapen eye watching them slowly drains her confidence. Even though she tries to ignore it, she can still feel its intense stare.
If it's an eye, why is it filled with acid anyway? And we don't even know how the actual SE looks like... Only that it's humanoid. A slight shiver runs through Emi's body. Her imagination brings her various images, each creepier than the last one.

[kamikasei]

"I don't think there's any place I could be during this fight where I'd be exactly comfortable," Cat admits. "So should we all just go with Andy and you handle popping the balloon alone? I mean, if you're okay with that... it seems a bit like putting all our eggs in one basket, though."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"Guys, why are we bothering to drop something on it when I can just blast it with a huge spear of fire from above? I don't even need anyone to carry me. You're making this all way too complicated." Ben said, crossing his arms.

[Tengu_temp]

"It's up to you.", Emi answers Cat. "I'm fine with taking some people with me, and I'm fine with going alone too. Just bear in mind that if you want to come and take the water tank with you, someone will have to move it - I can create an extra flying platform, but I can't put the tank on it."

"Well... Wht is the range of that huge spear of yours, Ben? Is it enough to avoid the acid splash?"

[kamikasei]

Cat frowns at Ben. "Because you didn't suggest that until just now, probably."

To Emi: "That shouldn't be a problem. Once I'm in armour I won't need the tank to keep the water where I want it."

She shrugs. "We need a decision, then. Who does the popping, Emi or Ben or someone else? Who wants to stay in the air and who wants to go underground?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"What? Don't make that face. I didn't do anything wrong." Ben poked Cat in the gut, obviously teasing.

"The range is more than enough. It would be no problem for me to hit something that big, too. If Emi wanted to attack at the same time, we could double the strength of the hit and make sure it pops." he said, getting more serious again. "Either way, I wouldn't do any good just sitting on the ground when I can move freely in the air."

[Drascin]

"Really, the reason I want people in the air is because I want two teams. We don't know what it can do, so I don't want to cluster everyone together in case of area attacks. I know that Emi can pop it alone, but I'd like it if there were at least three or four people in the air" Andy says.

[kamikasei]

"Okay. Well then it sounds like Emi should lift me up there and she, Ben and I can all hit it at once. Todd and Sara can go with you, and I'm assuming James still wants to hitch a lift with us and Lorne will want to watch from on high. Are we good to go, then? Andy, should we wait until you have time to bore out the tunnels and the troopers have time to get in to position?"

[Cubey]

"Do not... forget about me." Laura's gaze moves away from the giant piercing eye, and focuses on you instead.
"The Great Pretender can fly. So... I am coming with the airborne group. If the eye starts to attack you, or if your barriers won't be strong enough to defend against the acid... then I will defend you instead." Her voice sounds strongest and most confident since... well, since you knew her.

[Matar]

"... Is it me, or is that eaisly the hottest thing Laura has said sense we met her?"

Todd waits a little for that to sink in.

"I can't fly, but if Emi makes a platform I should be able to jump to it easy enough. I'm fine with being underground with Andy as well, just so long as I don't have to be there for long. I hate cramped places."

[Tengu_temp]

Emi purposely ignores Todd's question.

"Well, we already have five people in the air group, and there should be someone in the ground one, so..."
How much of this is just an excuse not to have Todd in the same group? Probably a lot.

"Everything seems to be planned out now, so is there anything we're waiting for? Or can we activate our amplifiers now?"

[Matar]

"That works. Oh, uh. Andy, could you dig us a tunnel until we are next to the thing? Rather catch it by surprise, or at least get as close as possible to it before it spots us. Who knows how else it can attack. Get as close as we can via tunnel, team one pops out and flys above it, then Andy can seal the hole. Should work out fine."

[Drascin]

"Well, duh. What did you think we were doing, again?" Andy smirks at Todd poking him. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I should be getting ready. Everyone, get into armor and let's get this started -and over with. Land team, wait until I'm back, then into the tunnel and run. Sky team... you really should start gaining altitude already, I'm very stealthy underground... but I'd like to minimize time spent below the thing" Andy's not used to people looking at him for lead - he was usually the right-hand man in any mischief back at school. Dependable, skillful, and without a hint of a need for dominance, being support for the leaders always seemed his designated place. But right now someone has to say something, before they run out of time... or worse, Todd tries to take the reins.